Table 5 Comparison of raceways and photobioreactors (Bahadar and Bilal Khan 2013; Dillschneider and Posten 2013; Lyon et al. 2015; Richardson et al. 2012)
Reactor type | Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|---|
Raceway | Lower capital cost Lower annual cost | Risk of contamination Lower productivity |
Photobioreactors: tubular, helical, tubularvertical, flat panel, cuboidal, stirred tank, air lift, bubble column tubular | Effective light use Little risk of contamination More controlled environment Higher productivity and cell densities High gas transfer coefficients Easy CO2 supply Lower land use Lower water loss | Estimated 2.6 times the capital cost of Raceway ponds Estimated 1.5 times the annual operating cost Risk of oxygen oversaturation Difficult to scale up Increased shear stress by pumps |